New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-02
FROM THg VARS OF LONG AGO.
a ooLLEcr1oN OF OLD ARMS AND ARMoR.

a COLLECTION OF OLD ARMS AND ARMOh.
mr. MoRosINrs OLD-rAsHIoNED ARsENAL-so@S
OF THE CURIosITIEs
=, ana has taste for warfare OF o quiet anti
crsr,an sort he can find nothing rarer and more
charming, perhaps, about New-York than the cosuS
collection of old arms and armor with winch u T.
Alorosin has for some years been lining MS country
house at Riverdale, on the Hudson The average
layman has to go back to the Tower OF Lonooh ior
nm ollfashioned ars email moro formidably varied
and complete. Room after room In the Dig
country house is filed with polished curasscs, coats
of mall full stands of armor, strong bows pkesoves'
fog-horn bIunderbusses, clumsy matchlocKs, huse
swords blades and ponderous batie-axes' traps anu
measurements OF all degrees of boodthirsness, ana
from every nation from China to Peru. In one
corner stands a bludgeonlike mace that may nave
broken the heads Of fifty indeIs in the First Crusade
Over IL on the wall hangs the stout lance that some
CAV knight may have carried at the battle OF Ronocs
yalles In velvetnned case Is some MOORISH
pirates curved, slverchased pistol and close by It's
is the awkward, pronged sword-spear Of some Dalmo
Of Japan.
Cossack sabres Zulu spears, the shining cuirasses
of the Life Guard, frowning Grenadiers caps % tne
First Fm1iro Prussan spike-tops. the gay Lancers'
helmets the bearskns OF the Russian Couro 'ua'o'
gold court scabbards, rainbow shoulder s'iaps P@o'
colors, decorations, all the pomp ana circumstance VI
war-the impressions come so quickly ana oohiuNoiy
that the cleyeIest historians neau ~ III d "hhi Az
would take whole dozen of historians TO stralghten
out the tangled threads II one could only Coax
couple Of stories out OF that big Old Guard cap VIVA"
picturs of soldier life under the great Napoleon no
could painti And that old Rcundhead muskct could
toll some tales perhaps, about Private Makepeaoe OF
Lieutenant Praise Lord In which psalm-singing ana
similar recreations didn't figure at all. So the ex-
perts in ole arms say ct least The arms have been
brushed up good deal since Mr. Morosnrs agent
ancient eight day clock in coat of varnish.
Mr.. Morosini's ball. to start with, might DO taken
pr a small sized arsenal, and Hudson River burglar
with average intelligence would probably throw UP
bis fob at IL be got inside There are sew
oral armor. stands against the wall and twenty or
moro bright curasscs with vizordrawn helmets aFpng
the lind of tho picture moldng. Most Of them have
plumes and between them are hung some old French
standards. There arc good many eagles ana nags
OF the two Empires In fact, all over the house one
of them, small square piece OF ucolor, Is from tho
regmenta standards up at Sedan to prevent their
falling Into the hands of the conquering Germans.
Up stairs Is collection of French cavalry and
infantry helmets, with sprinkllng OF uhlsn and
drgoon caps. Helc. toe, Is the great Spanish sword
oil tho Inluisiton Damascus blade seven feet bigh,
carried In professions at the auto-da fes and other
In ,usitor'al ceremonies In q big case hang nulI
Der Of Spanish spurs used by Corez In his Invasion
OF Mexico. Some weigh ten to fifteen pounds with
sharp Jagged edges to brush crowd OF. Near the
Cortez relics finely carved silver Turkish
pistols with crooked handles and big smooth barrels
Jhey match nicely, though they are tr1he moro
modern. with the oddstocked, thin rifles Of the Mame
iukes
One large room down stairs Is largely given UP to
spears, Iances arrows ami bows. There Is a Zulu
assegai, with a sharp tip and long shaft weighted
with Lead tho sort OF weapon that killed. tho young
Prince Napoleon In South Africa few years ago.
Some South Sea Island spears are tipped with bono
,vfi, fnath ~
missionary, perhaps, too delicate temptation for the
iIfe1 cannibals The old tournament lance tips tho
ceiling almost, but is stout and sti and the phantom
warrior across the way shows neat catch under tho
arm Of his mail coat which the long stick rested
The stands Of arInor are generally tIine short,
which may be accounted Tor by the fact that nearly all
The snce and spear room has Greek helmet dat
ing back many hundred yeats before Christ. Ii has
rsted through in TWO places ana LOOKS now Ike old
eaaed T rom chinese pirate Il looks lie the the
trunk Of rough tree and doe o mot eary dSngeT0gs
to blow few air castles down. The Chinese and
japanese night watchmcn's spears belong to this
group. They have buzzsaw points generally and
criminals. The Chinese bows weak beside the
almost to draw one Of these. The archers it is said
pulled cords into place with their feet.
Thugs In India Next to this In interest for ~ small r
arms comes genuine Irish shaleh. It Is sort Of
In the parlor proper the most costly OF all the
relics massed together In Here
cold gold Turkish pistols with handles and barrels
beautifully chased one or two OF the finest guns
are mixed In here, fiintlOcks and wheclocks Tho
fntlock action is we'll enough known. BY tho
whceoch sort Of windmill motion Is started and
the solder shuts his eyes and holds the gun out
straight til tho machine down and the explosion
comes Many of them could DO fired only from the
breast or stomach. Others had sights. Tie rich
Turkish scnitars and yataghans curious both for
their shape and carvings, far Eastern ranger
far outlong the Western cowboys in tic care for and
knife with silver handle found In the breast OF a
woman drowned In well at the massacre Of Gavin
FORE.
The medals OF honor, and decorations bavo
general interest," perhaps, than the them
selves. Mr.. MorosI has a series OF Crimoan medIls
and several decorations under tho two French En-
perors. The medal struck of for General Jackson
by order OF Congress aftor the battle Of NewOrieans
has 81 cclal value and rarity. There are n num-
Der OF Washington medals, too, and large collection
OF coins many presented 10 Mr.. Morosnl by General
Grant Ono whole case Is given over to miniatures
Isabcy, tho celebrated French medallion painter.
With tho medaions costly pieces OF jeweIry
work. duchess's cetonet with a medallion Of Mary
Queen OF Scots on It, odd Eastern ornaments and
other decorations thai are scarcely wanko
There is Of these unwarlike relics which Mr..
Morosini prizes highly than bis guns and pistols
over In Italian and signed by the great Italian patriot
CanbaldL Mr.. Morosni sailed before the mast In
Gahbalds ship before "the 6fes" and this letter Is
noto OF uGabks from his captain for kindness and
attention during long sick voyage 1t begins
"Caro Nanni" Nann being pet nickname for
Giovanni.
Mr.. MorcsiD has an agent In Europe constantly
tho lookout for ourostes In the way OF guns.
and his collection will undoubtedly be kept growing
soveral years longer No money valne Of course.
can BIO put On such things Some cannot be dupli
Gated at all Others are Increasing In value every
year. 1t Is safe to say that tho collection repre-
sents now nearly 100000 In money.
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ENDING OF THE VAIL PAPER POOL.